Vitamins and Minerals – what do you need to know?
As chiropractors, we need to look at the human being from all dimensions. When entering the doors of Chirolink, you are welcomed into a home where your best interests are taken to heart. We are here to help the ‘whole’ human because there is absolutely nothing in the body that works alone. Be it the mechanics of the body in front of us or the minute processes at a chemical level that are incredibly complex to understand. They work together whether we like it or not and each aspect must be addressed when considering overall health.
One of the parts of being a ‘whole’ human that can be addressed is vitamins and minerals and the supplements you take.
The health stores are full of them. With all the different types, different brands, strange words, and Google, there is a ton of information out there and it can be inconsistent and overwhelming. We can’t all take everything.
Where do we start? Understanding what vitamins and minerals are.
Ultimately, these are all tiny molecules that allow our bodies to function. Without them, we would not be alive. Each one is deeply and intricately involved in every process within the body – so much more than we can comprehend. We are all supposed to be getting these from our food. But we live in the modern world and while running the race, we slip into convenience and stop prioritizing a nutrient-rich and balanced diet. We are only human. Unfortunately, with this and the dominance of processed foods and all the GMOs and pesticides used when growing food (or the food for the meat we eventually consume), quite a bit of the true quality of nutrition is lost. Some of us who are chronically stressed or those who suffer from chronic inflammation tend to deplete our mineral and vitamin stores much faster. Unfortunately, a lot of us also have a reduced ability to absorb these nutrients such as those with irritable bowels or those on chronic medications such as the oral contraceptive pill, antidepressants, cholesterol reducing or acid reflux mediations.
Vitamins and minerals keep your body ‘clean’ to the best of its ability by reducing the chances of ‘crisis’. And if a crises occurs, your body isn’t so distracted trying to clear all the toxins out of the way before dealing with the problem. It gives your body the best (and less stressful) chance at a quick and seamless recovery.
Do I need to take any supplements? Which supplements do I take and for how long?
Firstly, everyone is different. Our health conditions vary, our demands vary, and our deficiencies vary. There are so many supplements out there – almost too many. This needs to be discussed with a qualified healthcare provider and together you can form a healthy, authentic plan. Together you will be able to discuss which vitamins or minerals are most likely deficient in your body and then decide how long it is required to take the supplement according to your specific condition.
There are very specific vitamins and minerals that most of the population are deficient in – such as vitamin B12 and vitamin D and there are very specific vitamins and minerals that certain conditions are deficient in. An example would be migraines which are commonly associated with magnesium deficiency.
Here are some common vitamins and minerals – which we stock in our clinic which have helped many of our patients in the last 15 years since we started offering it to them to complement our chiropractic treatments.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is well known as something you take when you are sick or trying to prevent sickness. This is because vitamin C is primarily a powerful antioxidant and is a major contributor to the growth and repair of tissues (every single cell) within the body. We take it when we get sick as it promotes the movement of the body’s immune cells to the infected area and assists with healing the infected cells involved.
Symptoms of deficiency: weakness and pain, bleeding gums, recurrent infections, easily bruised.
Zinc:
Zinc has an incredibly powerful antimicrobial effect and being in such high concentration in all our bodily fluids (such as sweat, saliva, and stomach), is the first line of defense from pathogens. It is a strong heavy metal detoxifier thereby powerfully protecting the brain and the body. Zinc is involved with DNA and cellular reproduction, hormone and protein production, and bone growth and is very important for a healthy growing baby during pregnancy. The World Health Organization estimates that 30% of the global population is zinc deficient and studies show that it is 2/3 lower in Alzheimer’s sufferers.
Symptoms of deficiency: there are few very specific and obvious symptoms but the first and most obvious sign is white marks on the nails. Other symptoms could be a burning mouth, recurrent infections, hair loss, reduced appetite, sudden changes in mood, acne, and diarrhea.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is one of those vitamins that are highly underrated. It is not just a ‘vitamin’. It is a hormone that is vital for several bodily processes. It is made by the body when exposed to sunlight and is activated by the kidneys to allow the body to use it properly. Vitamin D helps us build our bones, fight disease, reduce inflammation, and even decrease the growth of cancer cells. It significantly improves the symptoms of depression by protecting the brain and nerve cells. Studies have demonstrated a marked vitamin D deficiency in Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers, and it is estimated that over a billion people worldwide are vitamin D deficient.
Symptoms of deficiency: unfortunately, the signs are mostly noticeable when the deficiency has long progressed (such as osteoporosis) but the first few indicators are a low or depressed mood, anxiety, insomnia, and body aches.
Magnesium
Magnesium is the first supplement we would recommend for most conditions. It is an excellent ‘umbrella’ supplement as magnesium is involved in countless chemical reactions in the body such as muscle contractions, signals moving along all your nerves, keeping your bones strong, maintaining hormone production, the production of energy, and the creation of new cells. Magnesium protects our hearts by preventing calcium plaques from building in the arteries simply by putting them in our bones to keep them nice and strong.
Multiple studies have determined that almost every person is magnesium deficient due to many reasons (high stress, processed foods and modernized farming with nutrient-stripped soil, high sugar intake, pollution exposure, and high fluoride exposure in our water).
Symptoms of deficiency: body aches and headaches, low mood or anger, sugar and chocolate cravings, fatigue, memory issues, and in more severe cases – nerve damage, osteoporosis, calcification of soft tissues, and kidney or liver damage – to name a few.
With such high rates of vitamin D and magnesium deficiencies, a huge amount of the population is living below optimal health based on just these two alone!
Vitamin B
Vitamin B is a more complex vitamin as it can be subdivided into 8 different types. We could go into detail about each subdivision but that would be an entire new blog post. To summarize, vitamin B’s main role is to assist the body in all the chemical processes of metabolism. They allow the breakdown of food and convert this into fuel to enable us to live and allow every cell in the body to function. All our vitamin B’s require magnesium to become active in the body – demonstrating the importance of magnesium again. Vitamin B2 alone has been shown to markedly reduce migraine symptoms and make a large difference in energy and mood.
Symptoms of deficiency: fatigue, irritability, depression, pins and needles, skin rash, burning mouth or feet, and confusion or memory loss.
Taking the appropriate supplements to your needs as soon as you can is a good starting point however you will not see a change in a day (there are exceptions 😊 ). Like anything good, it can take a bit of time to allow the body to integrate and build up stores of what it was lacking before it can efficiently use it. It takes time for the body to become ‘comfortable’ again. We are all susceptible to some deficiencies here and there. Be it chronic oral contraceptive pills, antidepressants, acid reflux or antibiotic medication use, or chronic stress – these things happen. If you have any questions or experience any of the symptoms above, come see us at Chirolink and we can discuss what your possible vitamin and mineral needs are and together, we can take a step further towards a happier, healthier, and more resilient life.